The National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2) has officially launched, becoming the first national organization dedicated to supporting Black-owned bookstores and booksellers across the country.

According to TheGrio, NAB2, a nonprofit collective, was created to promote literacy, amplify Black voices, and preserve Black culture by increasing the visibility, sustainability, and overall impact of Black bookstores. The organization aims to unify and empower these businesses, strengthening the role Black bookstores have long played in their communities.

“For decades, Black bookstores have been the connective tissue in communities across the nation,” Blanche Richardson, NAB2 founding board member and owner of Marcus Books in Oakland, California, said in a statement. “Many of us have talked for years about the power of collective action. Now, with the founding of NAB2, we have the ability to institutionalize policies and practices that will allow for the further growth and flourishing of these important institutions.”

Board members include other Black bookstore owners and descendants of the founders of historic shops such as Marshall’s Music and Books in Jackson, Mississippi, Hakim’s Bookstore in Philadelphia, Marcus Books in Oakland, and Source Booksellers in Detroit.

In a statement, Kevin Johnson, the founder of NAB2, explained his personal connection to the organization, saying, “My mother, Mother Rose, founded and ran Underground Books in Oak Park. My involvement in the National Association of Black Bookstores is deeply personal. It’s a way for me to honor her legacy and ensure that the stories, voices, and spaces she cherished continue to thrive.”

NAB2 seeks to support Black bookstores by providing resources and increasing visibility, leveraging collective power to benefit current and future booksellers, advocating for stores in public policy spaces, and educating the broader public about the enduring legacy of Black bookstores in American history.

The organization has also introduced a multi-tiered membership model that will welcome bookstore owners and booksellers, as well as authors, publishers, distributors, and industry allies who support its vision of equity, culture, and commerce. NAB2 is set to host regular virtual and in-person meetings and participate in prominent literary events, including Black Lit Weekend in New York on August 15–16 and the Sacramento Black Book Fair on September 12–13.

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